St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-06-23
THE PRINCE OF TEACHERS.
Death of Rev. DR.. Mark Hopkins.

crate and Impressive way at the fune
raj of his successor in the presidency
of Williams college, Paul A. Chad
bourne. Still more striking and fit are
these words when applied to the
speaker himself, -pre-eminently the
Christian philosopher, teacher, preach
er and guide. The "going down. of a
life so nobly rounded and complete as
was that of DIR. Hopkins will sadden
those who looked up to him all around
the globe, but the end was that sspeace
that passeth all understanding" The
! immediate cause was heart failure due
to the exhaustion of age, but when the
end came at $50 o'clock Friday morn
ing he was in full possession of all his
faculties. His death will be in one
sense a shock, for he was the picture
of lusty age, and the day of his de-
parture seemed afar off. There ap-
peared every reason to expect extreme
years for him, as his mother had lived
to be 95, and his own remarkable con-
stitution had been always conserved
by careful living. When 80 years old
he died at 85 years and four months
he was somewhat ailing, but the New
| York physicians who were called in to
make thorough examination reported
him to possess the physical powers of
one at 60.
Mark Hopkins, was born at Stock
bridge, Mass, February 4, 1902 FLA
father. Archibald Hopkins, was IA &
mer, and his mother was Mary s.
a woman of superior intellect a f&H
strength of character He Is IT s
eldest of three brotilef8< 81 81 & <;f
of promising talent li6 g 6,
and the othersA 81 II tsed
memory, loft1 ~ Hams.
| Mark entere<l 81 <z1( {lHz class at
| Williams in 6z ut fZl, aud was
graduated in f8z Tie valedictOry.
Then he began sB9e study of medicine
at Pittsfeld, was appointed tutor in
1925, which office he filed for two
years. The two following years he
studied medicine and taught in Pitts
field and New York. In August, 1880,
when he had completed arrangements
for settling in New York city, he was
called to the professOrship of rhetoric
and moral philosophy in Williams col
lege. He was soon after licensed to
preach by the Berkshire Congrega
tiOnal association. President Griffin
resigned his office at the commence
ment in 1886, and DR.. Hopkins was un-
aninfously elected his successor and
professor of moral and intellectual
philosophy. He was then about "a
years old, the youngest college presi
dent in the country, but his purposes
and plans were matured.
The presidency of Mark Hopkins,
extending over 36 years, made Will
Jams college famous, and indissolubly
connected with it and it with him. The
dominant force of the institution was
its president, and his achievements
were personal and intellectual,-m
rather than material, and consisted
in the training of men more than the
erection of buildings. This is not the
place to recount the history of the col
lege from 1886 to 1872, when DR.. Hop
kins laid down the burdens of his Of
fee but some idea of the work which
he did for it-he has always retained
the professorship of philosophy and
theOlogy-may be gathered from the
fact that of the over 100 living gradu-
ates he had taught all but about 30.
DR.. Hopkins gave three reasons for re-
signing his presidency, and they
were characteristic of the man "Q)
That may not be asked why do not
obey the law of averages, and an aver
age man at my age is not competent to
fulfil snch an office; (3.) Because
my power to draw students has dimin-
ished and is diminishing. l have
reached the age of three score and ten.
and my age is supposed to be greater
than it is"
In long and prosperous career, so
MI firm r.
came to DR.. Hopkins. He received the
lege in 1897, from Harvard university
in l84l, and again at the recent 25Oth
anniversary and was made doctor of
laws by the regents of New York in
1857.
DR.. Hopkins was elected president
of the American board of commission
ers for foreign missions in 1857, when
he was in the full strength of his prime,
and has been reelected at every an
nual meeting since. President Hop
kins admirably filled that important
place the work found him always its
deep principles, and he was always
prudent and sagaciOus counselor.
"Mark, the Perfect Man," expresses
the affectionate relation which the
alumni of Williams college sustained
toward DIR. Hopkins, an estimate
which began in the fatherly and friend
ly intercourse of the classroom, and
was expressed in the enthusiastic re-
Spouse which met the mention of his
name at all college gatherings.
President Hopkins interest in Gen.
Garfield was always warm and init
mate, and when the latter entered up
on the presidency the event was mark
structOr. The first reception at the
White House was given to Mark Hop
kins and the Williams graduates. 1t
was of the presidents own planning.
Tue alumni in Washington, resident
and visitors, were drawn up in the
form of a horse shoe, and DIR. Hopkins
addressed the chief magistrate. The
speaker was profoundly moved, and
exhOrted his pupil to maintain the high
ideals which had marked his past.
President Garfield, with wet eyes, re-
piled in one of those moving and in
spired speeches which he sometimes
uttered. He voiced the deepest love
and reverence for his old teacher, and
ascribed the good impulses of his Ca
Ioor 10 lessohs iedrneu among the Nils
of Berkshire.
DR.. Hopkins had been in his usual
health until about a week ago, and his
mental vigOr has been evidenced by
his recent contributions to the relig-
iOus newspapers. But he caught cold,
and had been failing for some days, al
though able to ride out.
Sarah Bernhardt's Ugly Tiger.
Sarah Bernhardt and her pet tiger
cub "Mihette" had royal time the